Temples Going Up In Pines

March 7, 1999|BY PAUL SCOTT ABBOTT SPECIAL TO THE SUN-SENTINEL

PEMBROKE PINES — Many of the 250 members of an Orthodox Jewish congregation that has been meeting in a maintenance building at Century Village believe it is nothing short of miracle that they expect to have a temple of their own by this time next year.

Since the Young Israel congregation was formed in 1990 at the Pembroke Pines retirement community, it has been holding services in temporary facilities. The 1,000-member Century Pines Jewish Center, a Conservative congregation, has been in a similar situation without a synagogue.

But matters took a favorable turn, when city officials ruled in January that both congregations could build their own temples on an abandoned portion of Southwest 136th Avenue. It is a stretch of roadway that developers had been required to build but which later was closed at the request of Century Village residents. Officials then urged developers to donate the land so the congregations could build.

"This `road that should never have been' led us to be here so you could have your temple," Mayor Alex Fekete told more than 200 people who gathered Feb. 24 for a groundbreaking ceremony for the Young Israel synagogue.

Evelyn Berdy, who served as president of the Young Israel sisterhood in 1992 and 1993, said, "I think it's a great miracle happening here."

Berdy, who said her decision to move to Century Village from New York in 1990 was in part because she was aware a Young Israel congregation was meeting there, said the building will cost $450,000 and that she hopes another $100,000 can be raised to add a library, study and conference area.

Arnold Friedman, president of the congregation, said the initial 5,000-square-foot structure is include a 250-seat worship center.

"If I were to quote Lou Gehrig and say, `Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on earth,' I wouldn't be lying," Friedman told the groundbreaking gathering.

After several speakers' remarks and dignitary photos, each of the 200 or so Young Israel members present was permitted an opportunity to have his or her picture taken with the ceremonial groundbreaking shovel in hand. That meant many didn't leave the midday event until more than 1 1/2 hours after it began.

"Your faith made this day possible," said State Sen. Howard Forman, D-Pembroke Pines.

Rabbi Jay Neufeld, director of the Southern District for the National Council of Young Israel, said, using the Hebrew word for synagogue, "Those who struggle to build a shul and all those people who work so diligently with faith, let it be known it is God and only God who can truly repay you."

The Century Pines Jewish Center's synagogue, to be about twice the size of the Young Israel building, also is slated to be open next year.

The Young Israel site is at the northern end of the closed roadway. The Century Pines Jewish Center's property is about a block south of it. The two temples are to be separated by a parking area.